DEDS special issue on discrete event methodologies for hybrid systems

Recent technological innovations have caused an ever increasing interest in the study of hybrid systems. The distinguishing feature of this class of systems is the interaction between continuous-time dynamics (governed by differential or difference equations), and discrete event dynamics and logic rules (described by automata, Petri nets, temporal logic, if-then-else conditions, etc.). The growing interest by both academia and industry in hybrid systems is motivated not only by the theoretical challenges they pose, but by their ability to model dynamical processes in a large variety of application areas as well. Hybrid dynamics are often so complex that the analysis and control of these systems cannot be carried out using tools similar to those that pertain to linear systems or to certain classes of nonlinear smooth systems. Heuristic design procedures usually require trial and error sessions, extensive testing, are time consuming, costly and often inadequate to deal with the complexity of the hybrid control problem properly.